Neural control of renal function: Functionally specific populations of sympathetic nerves

Funded Activity Summary

The kidneys are supplied with a dense network of nerves. Working properly, these nerves help maintain normal filtering of the blood by the kidneys. Over-activity of the nerves going to the kidney is associated with congestive heart failure, liver cirrhosis, chronic renal failure and hypertension. We have recently made several major discoveries about these nerves. Our studies suggest, based on structural and functional evidence, that stimulation of subgroups of nerve fibers going to the kidney will causes different effects with in the kidney . We therefore suggest that salt excretion , the control of blood flow to the kidney and the release of hormones by the kidney can be seperately regulated by the nerves. Using techinques only practise in a handful of laboratories around the world, we aim to determine to how the nerves control kidney function normally. These studies will suggest new directions in which the renal nerves may be implicated in disease.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2003

End Date: 01-01-2005

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $286,250.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Medical molecular engineering of nucleic acids and proteins

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

arterial hypoxia | congestive heart failure | glomerular capillary pressure | hypertension | micropuncture | renal failure | renal sympathetic nerve activity | renal vascular resistance

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